Picking a topic requires research. Ideas for topics can come from course material and popular sources like newspapers, magazines, podcasts, and even social media. Start by browsing some of your regular information sources and readings for ideas. You may want to take the concepts you are seeing to an academic book or encyclopedia. It is possible that you decide to change your topic along the way.

Using a concept map can help with narrowing ideas and focusing vocabulary for keyword searching.

Professional literature can help you determine what you want to know more about, issues and trends in the profession, and what matters to other professionals. See some key professional organizations for in the field are below. You can read  full-text publications (magazines and journals) on their website or by searching the e-journals to which the library subscribes. Select "Journals" from the dropdown menu under the "More" tab on the library homepage.

1. Organization webpages.  Many professional organizations provide full-text of their articles for free.  They may provide different access for association members and non-members.  Check their webpages to see what is available. 
2. E-Journal Search.  The library subscribes to paper or electronic versions of many association magazines and scholarly journals.

• Search the magazine or journal title via the e-Journal search on the library webpage. 

• Scan and view entire issues of magazines and journals.  Scanning article titles (like a table of contents) provides you with an overview of what is being discussed within the organization/profession.
   
• Search for a topic within the publication and then read the articles online.